Kein Zurück
by TheKid'sKid
Summary: Not all fighting is done on the battlefield. Most of it is done on the streets of Munich, where inflation has caused an increase in crime and job loss. And with the dawn of a new leadership casting its shadow over the Elrics' lives, what will Edward be willing to do to protect his brother from the horrors occurring just outside their window? Is survival worth the price?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is a continuation of Conqueror of Shamballa. It spans several years and tracks the lives of the Elric brothers as they fight to survive from the year 1924 to 1945. I feel that there is so much that could be expanded on with the storyline given to our Elrics, and I plan on doing just that. Be prepared though, this fic will not be for those who want a fluffy, warm story.

Chapter 1

The autumn air that had settled over Munich, Germany was brisk and refreshing to one Edward Elric, who practically skipped his way down the street toward his home. He had every reason to feel happy today; he'd just finalised the papers on his and Alphonses' German citizenship, and had also wrapped up the paperwork on becoming Al's legal guardian. Everything was in order, and all he needed now was to get Alphonse into a good school and himself a good job.

The first year of having Al back had been hectic. Getting his brother adjusted to this new world had been a challenge, but he handled it better than Edward had. And then Ed had had to move Alfons Heiderich's personal belongings out of the second room for Al to have his own bedroom. That experience had put quite a lump in his throat. In the end, he just couldn't bring himself to throw out Alfon's books and notes, and instead had moved them into his own bedroom closet. He'd sold all of Alfon's clothes, though; he needed the money. He and Alphonse were living off of savings that Heiderich had kept stashed away. It felt wrong to use the money, but times were getting desperate in Germany, and Ed needed all the help he could get. Edward knew he had to find a job quickly, but there was no way he could go back to Heiderich's engineering team. He knew he was done with that the minute his brother had followed him across the Gate.

Pulled from his thoughts, Edward realised that he had reached the front entrance to the apartments owned by Gracia. Edward was so grateful that she'd allowed him and his brother to stay after Alfon's death.

Opening the door and heading up the staircase past the landlady's own door, he climbed up to the first floor, where a short hallway led to Edward's apartment, the left of two doors. A small wooden template was nailed to the front of the door, reading "Elric" where another template reading "Heiderich" used to rest.

Walking in, Edward took the door to the immediate right, which opened to the parlour. There he found his younger brother sitting on the sofa, enveloped in a book. He was just how Edward was when he'd first arrived; eager to learn all he could about this new world.

Alphonse started a bit in surprise when a hand suddenly pulled the book from his nose. He looked up to see Ed smiling down at him.

"Get everything finished?" Alphones inquired. He didn't quite understand all the paperwork and documentation Edward had been doing over the past few months, but he hoped that it was all over now.

"Yeah," Edward replied with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "We're now officially citizens. That'll make getting a job a lot easier." Ed turned to go toward the door, but his brother's voice stopped him.

"Brother, we're almost out of food. Could I run to the market to buy more? I know the way."

"No, Al. I'll just go there tomorrow morning."

Al frowned at up Ed. He was never allowed outside without Edward accompanying him. He had made it plain to Edward how unfair he thought it was, but Edward knew how dangerous the streets were becoming, what with the inflation on a steady rise. There were muggings and home robberies occurring everywhere. If it wasn't for Officer Hughes constantly standing around Gracia's home, Ed was certain that she and all the residents of her apartments would've been cleaned out by now. But Alphonse was almost fourteen, a young teenager, and Edward understood how reckless teens could get. Hell, Al became more and more like how Edward used to be when he was that age; albeit a milder version. Ironic that now that he was older, Edward understood what all those adults had meant when they complained about being driven to exhaustion by Edward himself. But he also understood what it was like to be forced to stay in one place for a long time.

Edward sighed once again, this time in relent. "Alright, um, how about I take you to the park tomorrow afternoon? They have food stands and stuff out there."

Alphonse's face lit up immediately. "Really? Thanks, Brother!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

Grinning back, Edward headed from the room and out of his apartment, back downstairs to where the kitchen was on the ground floor. He quickly got to work cooking something for dinner, stomach beginning to growl.

Fifteen minutes in, Edward heard the sound of the front door opening and closing quietly. Noah stepped around the corner, coming into the kitchen to stand beside Edward. She had finally managed to find a job and now lived in her own apartment on the second floor.

"Good afternoon, Edward. How are you?" she asked pleasantly. After a period of awkward tension between them, Gracia finally cornered them months ago and forced them to "talk it out". Everything wasn't perfect between them, but it was well enough that Noah initiated short conversations with Edward whenever they crossed paths.

It took Edward a full minute to realise that Noah had just asked a question of him, then another to think back on what that question was.

"Hmm, fine." was all that his mind and mouth offered. On some level Edward knew he should make more of an effort, but when he was cooking he just tended to fade into his own world. He'd practiced a lot throughout the last three years and had gotten pretty good at it. He was rather proud, actually.

Still, it was a bit of a pain, since he could barely use his right arm to do much of anything. Over the past year a miraculous thing occurred: Edward had grown! Grown quite a bit, actually. He was still by no means tall, just under average, but he was now over a head taller than his little brother, for which he was eternally smug about. Unfortunately, that led to his automail no longer fitting. And since no one in this world even_ knew _what automail was, he'd been forced to go back to the prosthetics. He'd studied Hohenheim's papers enough to learn how the limbs functioned, and had been able to lengthen them. He still kept the automail; hidden away in a box beneath his bed. It was a piece of home, after all. But this meant that he had to be cautious about what he handled using the fake limb. It took several broken cups and dropped plates for Edward to finally adjust to using primarily his left hand.

Coming out of his thoughts, Edward realised that he had finished making the food, and that Noah had already left. Setting the table, he called up the stairs for Alphonse to come join him. Listening to the sound of a door closing and light footsteps, Edward finished laying out the plates and silverware.

"You know, they're holding Oktoberfest this year. I didn't think they would." Edward said as he and Alphonse ate their dinner.

"What's that?" Alphonse replied curiously.

"It's supposedly this really big festival they hold here in Munich every year. They didn't have it last year, but apparently it's going to be held this time around."

"Really?What is it a festival for?"

"I'm not completely sure, but it's a big deal around here. People even come from out of the country. Would you want to go? I hear it's mostly drinking, but there should be other things to do."

"Sure." Alphonse shrugged.

Edward wondered why his brother didn't seem more excited, as he usually was about anything that got him out of the apartment. It was probably just the idea of a bunch of foreign people getting drunk. Well, that sounded like a good time to Edward.

Finishing their dinner, the Elric brothers piled their dirty dishes into the sink for Gracia to clean. Edward always felt bad about this, but cleaning with one good hand was difficult, and Gracia was adamant about it not being any trouble. The two brothers then headed upstairs toward their separate bedrooms. Or rather, Alphonse went into his own room while Edward followed behind.

Over the past year of the brothers being reunited again, Edward had been nothing short of overprotective to the point of smothering. Sure, it wasn't as bad for Al now as it was when he first got there. The first month of being back with his brother consisted of Ed clinging to him like a mother lioness. And god forbid someone try to enter the apartment and approach them. Edward had significantly calmed down since then, but he was continually plagued by horrible thoughts of something bad happening to Al if he so much as blinked. It was just all too good to be true. His baby brother, Alphonse, whom he loved more than anything, was now in his own body and here with him. When he stopped to think about it, he couldn't help but want to just cling desperately to Alphonse, because those happy feelings quickly gave way to paranoia and horror. It was just _too good to be true_. It was all so perfect. Edward figured something bad had to be just around the corner. And so he developed a habit. A small habit of following Alphonse to his bedroom, making sure he was safely tucked away for the night. He knew it was silly and that Alphonse was too old for such things. But Al, ever understanding, allowed Edward this bit of comfort, if only to keep Ed from latching onto him like he used to.

Alphonse changed silently into his night clothes and slipped beneath the thick blankets of his bed. Edward entered soon after, walking over to the bed and crouching down beside it. Nothing was said; nothing needed to be said. Edward simply tucked in the edges of the blankets around Alphonse, an old custom remembered from a time when their mother did the same. He then leaned forward and placed a kiss lightly beneath Al's hairline.

After that, Edward usually stepped back and hovered for a few moments until Al's eyes slipped closed under the weight of sleep, and then quietly turned and made his way through the door, closing it until only a small sliver of light remained from a dim lamp in the hallway.

Alphonse wouldn't admit it, but he found great comfort in these nightly rituals his brother had taken up. For those few moments he felt as if he were back in his old room, with Mom tucking him in at night, usually after a short story or two. Truthfully, Alphonse remembered very little of his beloved mother. Over the years her smiling face was blurred with time, blotted out by the white of the past. The old memory of sensation was all he really had left. He couldn't even recall what her voice sounded like. In the time since her death, though Alphonse hadn't really been aware of it at first, his mother's face had slowly been replaced by another's.

The realisation had truly rained down upon him when he'd awoke to find the face of a woman named Rose, and wondered where his older brother had gone. Those two long years without Ed had definitely put into perspective how much Edward had become more than just a brother to him. He was like a brother, best friend, and parent all rolled up into one being. And he was certain Edward looked upon him as his kid, now more than ever, rather than just a kid brother.

And so Alphonse bared the slight embarrassment of getting tucked into bed at the age of thirteen, if only for that craved feeling of security. And indeed, Alphonse felt very safe and content as he slipped further and further into the black world of dreams, cut through only by the tiny strip of light.

(Wow this first chapter is really fluffy. But don't get used to it. Anyway, I know Oktoberfest wasn't held this year, and it hurts to be inaccurate on purpose, but I just can't skip a year, so we'll have to work with it. Don't be afraid to leave any comments, be they positive or negative!)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Alphonse awoke to mid-morning sunlight pouring onto his face from his bedroom window, the sound of birds almost harsh in the still silence of bedsheets and sleep-fogged thoughts. Strange. He didn't remember opening the window the night before. Perhaps his brother had come in earlier. With a long stretch he sat up, head swimming with fading conversations held within vague dreams and memories. A jolt rolled through him when he remembered the very conversation he had shared with Edward yesterday. They were going to the park!

Alphonse quickly scrambled from beneath the tangled covers, rushing toward the door, not bothering to get properly dressed. He found Edward downstairs in the kitchen, scrubbing with one hand at an old plate, with another plate of eggs and bread sitting behind him on the small table.

Alphonse quickly seated himself and began to eat as though it were a competition. The faster he finished, the sooner they could go to the park, and he wasn't giving Edward any more time to talk himself out of it.

Barely stopping himself from eating his fork as well, Alphonse rose and carried the dishes over to his brother, who took them silently. He then placed himself at Edward's left, taking the dishes that had already been cleaned and drying them with a nearby cloth.

"So, what time are we leaving?"

A great way to construct a seemingly innocent question. Leaves no room for questioning. Alphonse made sure his voice conveyed that aloof and yet pointed tone that he seemed to excel at. Edward took a little while to answer, which was really no surprise. Alphonse could feign patience if he had to.

"Um, I was thinking maybe around noon."

Alphonse's head turned to look over at the small wall-clock. It was barely eight-thirty! There was no way Al was waiting around until noon. He frowned, looking down at the crockery in his hands, letting out a mumbled "Oh."

He hoped that would be enough of a hint for his brother. It was. He could hear Edward let out a long sigh through his nose in return. Alphonse glanced up at Edward's face fully for the first time that morning, and began to second-guess his need to rush out of the house. Edward looked as if he hadn't slept that night. Indeed, he had probably been buried in their father's old notes, as Alphonse had discovered after many a morning of peeking into his brother's room to find him slumped over the wooden desk, papers and dusty wine bottles scattered.

Edward turned to look down at Al, defeat in his tired voice, "Well, if you really want to leave now, go and get dressed. I'll grab my coat."

Edward dried his hands and left the few remaining plates and cutlery, making for the front door. Alphonse couldn't help but smile, guilt pushed aside as he set down a freshly-dried bowl and made for his room, throwing off his night clothes in favor of attire fit for the brisk autumn weather of Munich. Mentally he promised himself to make sure they got back before the evening, so that Edward could nap on the sofa, as he often did when staying up all night.

Edward was slowly donning his dark brown jacket as Alphonse grabbed his own red coat from the tall rack beside the front door. Well, it was really Ed's old coat, but Alphonse had taken to it like a second skin, never going anywhere without it while separated from Edward. Yet another source of comfort that Alphonse held tight to. He could clearly recall those long, solitary walks between cities, always wearing the coat, even in the heat of the desert and long after Edward's scent had faded from the fabric.

After reuniting with Ed, the coat became more of a reminder of home, and the old days of endless searching. Al knew Edward still loved the garment, but hadn't made any mention of wanting it back. Alphonse assumed it was mostly due to the fact that the coat didn't even fit Edward anymore.

Once warmly dressed, both exited out the door and into the town, Al quickly taking the lead. Outside, the Elrics came upon Gracia, who was just opening the door to her flower shop.

"Good morning, you two," she greeted warmly. She had taken quickly to Alphonse when he first arrived, and had thankfully not asked too many questions.

"Hello, Mrs- Miss Gracia," Alphonse quickly corrected himself. He still mistook her for Mrs Hughes, even after a year, and it was hard for him to remember that they weren't the same person. He even half-expected to hear little Elisia's laughter coming from inside most days. It caused an ache in his chest every time he saw her, and he knew Edward felt the same.

"Off to somewhere?" Gracia asked as she organised flowers in various colorful vases for display.

"Yeah, we're heading to the park for some ice cream, then off to the market." Edward replied, placing a hand on Al's shoulder, nudging him slightly to get him moving, as well as a small squeeze for reassurance over his near slip-up. More like his hundredth near slip-up.

"Oh really? Well then you both have a great time!" Gracia smiled at the brothers. She seemed to brighten at the news that they were actually going out and relaxing. Gracia liked to talk for hours with her friends on party lines, and one of her favorite topics was her worry over "those poor boys not getting nearly enough fresh air." Her every word traveling and echoing up and into the apartments, Elrics' included.

The brothers waved and gave their farewells as they crossed the street, mindful of speeding cabs, and made in the direction of the park.

The sound of birds and children at play surrounded the pair as they reached their destination. Edward had to smile at the feeling of contentment in the air and the look of excitement on Al's face as he took in his new surroundings.

The park in Munich was very beautiful; full of trees and flowers of all kinds. There was a small dirt path that wove this way and that, occasionally accompanied by a bench. There were even captive birds which sat in cages suspended from tree branches. This both fascinated and saddened the brothers, and they spent nearly twenty minutes simply going from cage to cage, looking in on each bird as it fluttered about inside the bars.

After their sympathy drained enough to allow them to grow bored, the Elrics went in search of the famed ice cream stand. They followed the main path through a grove of trees, shivering slightly in the brief absence of the sun.

Emerging from the trees and into the sun's warmth once more, the two beheld a clearing, at which the centre was a lone wooden tower. It was five-tiered, ancient in its years, with a shadow that shadow stretched far over the field. People were gathered around the base of it, sitting on benches or upon the grass, picnic blankets and food scattered everywhere.

"Do you want to go stand in the tower?" Alphonse asked with a shrug.

"I want to take a closer look at that." Edward replied, pointing in the direction of an old carousel.

Without awaiting a reply, Edward walked toward the carousel, which was busy circling around, many people sitting upon it on various creatures. It was truly incredible, full of intricate designs; clearly around the same age as the tower, yet still operating as though it were new. Dark pillars rose from its base to an equally dark roof, where bound animals circled, forever frozen in their places. Edward gazed up at the machine, and as Alphonse caught up he saw an admiring smile upon his brother's face.

"Winry would be in love with this thing. Look at all those gears and wheels."

Alphonse looked once more upon the rotating machine, a small smile of his own coming out at the mental image of Winry inspecting every inch of this oversized children's toy.

The image was dashed suddenly as Alphonse watched Edward step up onto the thing, stumbling slightly as it continued its rotation. The older Elric looked down on the younger with a grin as he slowly turned out of sight.

"Come on, Al!"

Al smiled at his brother's oddity, waiting for him to circle back around before climbing up to join him.

Along with painted horses, the ride held storks and flamingos, as well as other such animals for patrons to choose from. Edward glanced around him before sitting on a rather imposing Ibex in mid-leap. Alphonse silently chose the horse behind Ed, shaking his head and wondering how his brother could look so confidant and regal whilst sitting on a wooden goat in a carousel.

The ride came to a slow stop soon after the Elric brothers boarded, and people of all ages slowly left the machine to resume their day at the park. Some children happily hopped down to meet their parents while others clutched onto their chosen animals, begging for another turn. Alphonse followed Edward back to the ground, and his older brother slung an arm over his shoulder and marched in the direction of the tower. Al couldn't help but smile at the good mood his brother was obviously in. After months of seeing nothing upon his brother's face but sadness, resignation and determination, it was nice to be able to watch him relax and be happy again.

"Where are we going?" Alphonse asked, more to fill the silence than out of curiosity.

Edward swept his right arm in front of them, "To the top of the tower. I wanna see where that ice cream stand is; I'm not wandering around this place all day."

Going up the steps of the tower took more time than Edward had anticipated, and when they finally reached the peak, both brothers had to pause and get their breath back. Halfway up, Edward had realised just how out of shape he'd become. He suddenly went from feeling like a kid again to feeling old. Great.

Alphonse moved to the railing that surrounded the edge of the tower and took in the amazing sight that such a height had to offer. He could see clear over the trees, all the way to the city. A heavy wind was blowing at this altitude, and Alphonse found himself crossing his arms and shivering once more. If he got sick from this outing, Ed would never let him out of the apartment again.

"I see it, over there." Edward pointed with his left hand toward a distant building. He could barely make out the word 'Eis' on the small building.

Back at the base of the tower, the brothers sat down on a nearby bench, feeling significantly pathetic and worn out. Edward felt like an old man, counting the imaginary wrinkles on his face, while Alphonse frowned at his weak teenage boy's frame. A lot really had changed over the years. More than either had really thought.

Edward finally stood up with a grunt, Al following, and they headed down the southern path, walking slow and admiring the flora. One quick look at the sun showed Ed that it was still early, so he didn't feel the need to rush.

A breeze flowed through the trees, and Edward wished he had made Al put on a scarf as well that old threadbare coat. If he caught a cold out here, Edward swore to himself, he'd never let him leave the apartment again.

The ice cream stand was a small white building with only one closed door and an open window, at which sat a man handing a cone to a small child. When their turn came, Edward ordered a vanilla for himself and strawberry for Alphonse. He spent a minute counting out the sparse money in his pocket, and then the two went in search of a place to sit. In a relatively clear space behind the stand, there sat a large stone bench. It ran in a half-circle, and stood slightly off the ground on a raised platform. Edward went up to it and slowly read out the blurred inscription written across it.

"Hier wo Ihr wallet, da war sonst Wald mur und Sumpf."

"What's it mean?" Al asked from behind him. He had yet to learn much German, and hoped that through school he could quickly master it.

"It means, 'Here where you wander was once only wood and marsh.'" Edward replied, letting out a small "Hmm."

The two sat upon the cold, pale stone and ate their melting ice cream in comfortable silence.

* * *

As they left the boundaries of the park, Edward looked to the sky and saw that it was high noon. He really wanted them to finish their shopping before nightfall, for when the streets grew dark, brutal gangs and desperate beggars roamed freely.

Speeding up his walking, he and Alphonse reached the market district in only fifteen minutes. As they weaved through the crowds, Edward read down his mental list of items they needed to buy. He hoped the prices hadn't risen yet again, or he'd really regret splurging on the ice cream.

"Alright, we'd better get the bread and stuff first; save cold things like milk for last."

If it were up to Edward, milk would be scratched off the list entirely. But one thing he learned through cooking was that a lot of things required milk. That, and Alphonse loved the crap.

After going into many stores and bartering with shop owners, the brothers had nearly everything they needed. Edward just had to find the guy that sold eggs, and they'd be home free.

Suddenly, a strange feeling overcame the older Elric, causing him to halt in his steps. He pivoted on his heel to where Al had been only a minute before, to find empty space. Quickly backtracking, Edward practically ran through the crowds of customers, fighting down a building urge to shout out Al's name.

_'Red coat red coat red coat where is it goddamn red coat re- Aha! There it is!'_

Spotting Alphonse was easy when he wore Ed's old coat; the main reason he let his brother keep it.

"Just what the hell are you thinking? You scared the crap outta me, Al!" Edward said loudly as he marched over to where his younger brother was.

Alphonse didn't respond, he simply continued to stare beyond the glass window of the shop they stood in front of. Looking as well, Edward had to roll his eyes at his brother. Inside the shop was a litter of kittens, all covered in black and white patches, playing with small toys and altogether looking adorable.

"C'mon Al, you know we can't afford one." Edward said in a soft tone. He hated denying his brother the one thing he wanted most, but he had to be realistic; he could barely afford to feed the both of them, let alone another mouth.

"But Ed," and here came the tone, "You always used to say we could get one when we had a house to keep it in. Now we have one!"

"We have an _apartment_, Al. And one we can barely afford, at that! We're incredibly lucky Miss Gracia doesn't throw us out. I'm weeks behind on the rent and our food money is quickly running out. I just can't take on a cat right now."

Edward was determined to remain firm on this issue, though his tone came out much gentler than he'd wanted. He promised to himself that once he got a stable job, he'd get Al the best damn cat in all of Germany. For now, he'd just have to resist those pleading eyes and that agonising tone.

Not looking at Alphonse, he grapsed his brother's hand in his own and silently led them both from the pet store window and back into the crowd. Alphonse followed with no resistance.

* * *

With their arms full of purchases, the two walked down many narrow streets toward their home as the shadows grew around them. Winter nights always began early, and Edward needed to get the two of them safely in their apartment soon. The streets were already cleared of pedestrians; everyone knew to get indoors quickly when nightfall arrived, and Edward's own instincts were screaming at him to hurry.

"Come on, Al." Edward called behind him, picking up his pace.

Wait, was that an extra footstep? A shadow in that alleyway? Edward tried to calm himself as they rounded another corner. Only four more blocks left to go before they reached Gracia's.

The sound of paper bags hitting stone filled the night air, and Edward turned sharply to be met with the sight of his brother in the grasp of a tall man. One dirt encrusted hand covered his Al's mouth, while the other bent his arm behind him.

Dropping his own bags, Edward ran at the man, only to be grabbed from behind as well. Two men came from out of the shadows, one pulling Edward back by his hair, and the other quickly encasing one of his arms in a vice grip. They held no expressions of hatred or evil delight on their faces, simply desperation.

Edward counted himself lucky indeed that they'd grabbed his prosthetic arm, and quickly twisted around to face the men, ignoring the burn in his scalp and pop of the shoulder joints in the arm. He dove into his coat pocket with his left hand and pulled from it a small knife he'd learned to keep on his person at all times.

Rushing toward the men, who were momentarily stunned at his earlier maneuver, Edward quickly plunged the short blade into the shoulder of the man gripping his hair. In the back of his mind, he could recall being a kid and shuddering at the thought of outright killing someone. It used to be something he felt he'd never be capable of. And yet over the years he had come to quite an understanding with both himself and the ways of the world. If he had to kill to protect his life as well as that of his younger brother's, he'd damn well do it. Munich was certainly not a place for the kind of person Ed used to be.

The man he stabbed was thin and lanky, and the force behind Edward's blow caused him to release his hold and stagger to the ground. The second, much larger man, gave a shout and threw his body forward with tremendous power. His torso collided with Edward's, sending him flying back to meet the unforgiving street with a resounding crack. The entire world went fuzzy, and Edward struggled to remember which way was up. He could vaguely hear Alphonse struggling with the three men, and tried desperately to stand up.

They were going to kill Al. He needed to get up! Get up!

Gathering his strength, Edward stumbled into a standing position. Miraculously, he had held onto his small blade, and charged toward the men once again. Alphonse was busy fighting the hold of one of the men while kicking a second in the knee. Edward was careful to steer clear of his brother as he swung the blade this way and that. The men recognised their immediate danger while within range of the weapon, and scattered back, allowing Edward a brief moment to grab his brother and sprint down the street.

Three blocks. There were now only three blocks between death and safety. The ruffians had quickly given chase, now more angry than desperate, and the quickest managed to grab hold of Alphonse's coat, causing him to be yanked violently backwards, Edward following.

Edward once again lunged for the man with his knife, Alphonse ducking down, giving a sharp kick of his own to the man's leg. Together they had the stranger on his back in a second. Sadly, this was just a second that gave the other two time to catch up. They surrounded the brothers, murder in their eyes as they closed in slowly.

A sudden shot rang through the air, and all five figures froze. Standing on the other end of the street was none other than Officer Hughes, gun held high and a mixture of confusion and anger written on his face.

"Alright, you all just stay right there." He said as he aimed the gun on them, walking forward slowly.

The crooks did the exact opposite, sprinting off into the night like roaches under light. Hughes cursed and fired a shot at the retreating figures, not wanting to risk shooting through someone's window. Already people were turning on lights and peeking through shutters.

Running over to the brothers, Hughes quickly looked them up and down for any sign of injury, stopping at Edward's head.

"You're bleeding." He said simply, leaning in to inspect the shorter man's scalp.

"I am?" Was Edward's distant reply. He was still running on adrenaline, and was busy looking about them in case those men decided to come back. He let out a hiss as Hughes fingers ran over a particularly tender spot. Damn. He'd feel that tomorrow.

Batting away Hughes's hand, Edward walked back down the street to where their bags had been abandoned. The paper was torn on some and a few items had rolled slightly down hill, but within minutes the three of them had everything gather and were making their way silently toward Gracia's, Hughes helping out and Edward only able to use his left arm.

* * *

"You two take care of yourselves." Hughes said with a smile as he sat down the bags he'd helped carry into the apartment.

"You too, and thanks for helping us with these, and for back there as well." Edward replied, truly grateful that Hughes had shown up when he did.

The man only smiled again in return, giving a nod as he exited quietly through the door. Edward listened to the sound of him walking down the stairs as he turned to Al, who was putting their things away into cabinets.

"Just go to bed, Al, I've got this."

Alphonse looked like he was about to argue, but at Edward's pointed stare he gave up and moved toward his bedroom, leaving Edward to finish up and go scrub at his head. Several minutes later, Edward emerged from the bathroom, hair wet and cursing under his breath. His head stung terribly, and he knew it would only hurt worse come morning. Luckily it didn't feel as though it needed stitches.

Al lay half-awake in his bed as he heard the familiar sound of his door opening. For a while he'd thought his brother would forgo their little ritual this night, and was surprised at his inability to drop off to sleep as easily as he normally did.

Alphonse feigned sleep as he felt Edward smooth out the heavy blanket silently, laying a slightly damp hair against Al's scalp. Edward was busy replaying the day's events in his head, namely both instances where he'd been struck with fear over Al's safety. He knew the petstore incident was just him being far too paranoid, but those thugs...They'd dodged a bullet that night, and Edward was once again painfully reminded of how perfect everything seemed to be. Too damn perfect.

(I am beyond unsatisfied with this but it's been far too long since I updated. Other fics as well as college is eating up my entire life, so unfortunately this fic takes a back seat to all that. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, even if it is rushed and not my best work. Reviews make me feel better, and I'm always happy to know what my readers think!)


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